Machine for the mechanical extraction of bast from stalks of plants, such as ramie, jute, and mallows



\ Mgrch 24, 1931. M. EINSTEIN 1,797,763

{ MACHINE FOR THE MECHANICAL EXTRACTION OF EAST FROM STALKS OF PLANTS, SUCH AS RAMIE, JUTE, AND MALLOWS Filed May 5, 1929 Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT, ornca EINSTEIN, HAMBURG, emm, ASSIG NOB TO Hm mxoo'rsczar DEL'1'A" KAATBGHAPPU 'VOOB GOKHEBGIIEIJ I! INDUS'I'BIIRLI IINANGIBBING SOGIETE DE CREDIT COHIEBGIAL I! INDUBTBIEII, OI AIITIBDAI, I

MACHINE FOR THE MECHANICAL EXTRACTION 0! BABE. 1'30! arm 0] PM, SUCH AS 3mm, JUTE, AND mnows Application med Kay 8, 1829, serial 30. 880,328, and in Germany Kay 9, was.

This invention relates to machines for mechanically obtaining bast from stalks of plants such as ramie and similar bast containin plants. By known machines of this kind t e stalks are split, and the spread out stalk halves are intermittently broken off and separated from the bast, the loosened ieces of wood or pith being removed singly y means of scrafiers. The known machines have substantial rawbacks, especially asregards erfect continuous feeding of the stalks, etachment of the woody portions and protection of the bast. With the known machines it'is not feasible to split the stalks in the central plane and to spread them out on account of their varying thicknesses, and for that reason, more particularly at the hi h speed of revolutionat which such mascale successive phases of the action of the chmes'must work, there is extreme probability of damage bein done to the bast by the breaking tools at t finest and most valuable fibres are situated. Owin to the irregular breaking, the fibres are lifiale .to be crushed and partly broken and incompletely freed from the woody parts of the stalk. The object of the inventlon is to eliminate the said drawbacks.

According to the invention the split'and spread out stalks to be broken are guided at the top and at the-bottom, withcontinuous advance, up to a point close in front of the breaking point and then treated by tools of different kinds successively coming into action, one tool breaking o a iece of stalk, the next one detaches the bro en-oif woody part from the bast, without the tools coming in contact with the bast itself. With a perfect centering and guiding of the stalks is obtained a uniform feed or advance, the mechanism eflecting which action is positivel connected with the device moving the brea ing tools, so that a perfect removal of the woody parts is, ensured, with the greatest possible protection for the bast. The bast is continuously carried away or discharged. The continuous feed is preferably eifecte by means of one or more feed and guide rollers which drive the stalk towards the tool intended for splitting and spreadin out the stalk. The feed rollers as well as tie breake inner side, where the ers and strippers are preferably connected 7 together in a positive manner, so that in ite of the continuous feed or advance, a 0 can separation of the wood from the stalk takes place and amm1ng or-other unfavourable 7 Figure 1 re resents the machine diagrammatically in s1de elevation,

F gure 2 is a plan of the same, Figures 3 and 4 illustrate on an enlarged breaking and stripping drum,

Figure 5 is a si e elevation of the operative part of the device for splitting and spreading out the stalks, and Fi re 6 shows the same in perspective viewed om the back. a

The stalks to be treated are'fed to the table 1, whence the pass between the airs of rollers 2, 3, 4 w 'ch drive the stal against a knife 5. In the construction illustrated, this knife is vertically adjustable and provided with a cutting edge 5 (Figure 5) bent rearwards. The setting of the knife 5 in the guide 6 can be eifected by means of a clamping screw 7 or by means of an eccentric or the like. A disc knife might alternatively be employed. During the continuous advance of the stalk, the knife 5 splits it completely.

One of the two pairs of the rollers 2, 3, 4 are preferably provided with fiutings 8 and are used as the feed rollers, whilst the other rollers act only as guides. Between the pairs of rollers are also arranged guides 9 for the stalks, which guides 9 may be adjustable. Behind the last pair of rollers 4 is arranged a funnel guide 10 which is provided with a weighted or spring-controlled cover 11, its object being to supply the stalks to a centering device constituted by two rollers 12, 13, (Figure 221 and at the same time to keep them down. T e rollers 12, 13 guide the stalks which are of varying thickness and usually of the stalks I bell crank levers and therefore the guide rollers 12, 13 are pressed against each other by a tension s ring 20 secured lugs 19, owing to whic an exact centering of the passing stalk is ensured. Under the centering device, the stalk is guided by another so aratel driven ide roller 24.

ehin the kni e 5 is arranged a s reading out device. As shown on an en arged scale in Figures 5 and 6, it is constituted by a brid e 21 which adjoins the knife and on whic are provided at the bottom spreadlng out surfaces 22, which latter produce a spreading out of the split stalk. The latter is then fed to the guide rollers 23 which are made V-shaped or oppositely inclined from their centres to their edges as seen in Figure 2. The pair of rollers 23 is used at the same time for guiding and for conveying the spread out stalksto the breaking point. The uide track for the stalks preferably rises rom the cutting device towards the breaking oint, in order to bring the stalk into the most avourable position possible for treatment by the breaking tools and stripping tools. In order to ensure at the breaking point a reliable perfect breaking taking place asfar as possible transversely of the irection of movement of the stalks, the stalk to be broken is further guided at the top and at the bottom, close in front of the breaking point, by ide devices 26, 27 and treated here by the reakin tools 28 and strippers 29 which closely ollow one another and are at different distances from the breaking point. The strippers 29 are at such av distance from the breaking edge constituted by the lower guide 26 that, after the breaking off of a piece of wood 8 b the shorter breaker 28 (Figures 3 and 4), t ey cannot touch and therefore cannot injure the bast (see Fi re 4).

It is important to provi e above the lower guide device 26 which may be a rotatable roller, a movable weighted or spring controlled guide device 27 which may comprise a guide plate 31 pivoted about the pin 30 and made in the form of an arc of a circle. This plate extends to a point close above the breaking point 25 and limits the breaking point in front, that is to say in the direction of the advanced stalk, in such a manner that a transverse breaking of the woody part of the stalk is effected just at this point, that isto sa an unfavourable breaking of the wood, whic mi ht lead to damage of the bast, is avoided. order to reduce the pressure on the bast when treating thick pieces of stalk, which of course require more space between the guide and the breaking and stripping tools,

struction illustrate it is mounted on levers 32 which are rotatable about pins 33 (Figure 1). The levers 32 are controlled by the actlon of tension springs 34. The turning of the levers 32 in the direction of the arrow :2: is limited by the stop 35, so that even when treating thin stalks, no contact of the strippers 29 with the bast can take place.

Under and in front of the ide 26 is provided a guide plate 37 pref iably cranked downwards at the front edge 36. The plate 37 is also adjustable with the guide 26 and is mounted for instance on the rocking lever mg edge, is yielding y mounted. In the conthe bottom guide 26 constituting the break- 32. Also above the said guide plate 37 are preferably provided separate ide walls 37 or the stalks, which depress t stalks rising after their passage between the rollers 23, so that the said stalks reach the breaking point in correct position.

The discharge of the bast can be effected by a pair of rollers 38, 39 which may also be driven in a positive manner.

As seen 1n Figures 1, 3 and 4, the breakin tools 28 and the strippers 29 are constituted by rigid ledges or bars of different heights which are mounted on a rotating device, for instance on a drum 40 orvon an endless band or the like. Y

All the upper rollers of the pairs of rollers 2, 3, 4, 23 and the ide rollers 38 are mounted at one end with t eir journals 41 (Figure 2) 1n weighted or spring-controlled levers 43 rotatable about pins 42, so that the can yield in accordance with the thickness 0 the stalks passed between the rollers. The driving of the feed and guiderollers 2,- 3, 4 and 23 is effected by means of spindles 45 supported in fixed bearings 44, WhlCh carry chain wheels 46 and to'which the intermediate spindles 47 of the feed rollers 2, 3, 4 are coupled by means of universal joints 48, 49 such as ballor cardan joints. v s For the purpose of ensuring a continuous advance of the stalks, the feed and uide roller pairs 2, 3, 4 as well as the pair of rollers 23, the pair of discharge rollers 38, 39 for the bast and the drum 40 carryin breakin and stripping tools, are positively driven chain wheels 46. The ratio between the pairs of rollers 2, 3, 4 and the pair of rollers 23 as well as the drum 40 is calculated so that by a suitable-choice of the diameter of the chain wheels 46, in spite of the continuous advance of the stalks towards'the breaking the y meansv of chains 50 passing over breaking edge,

including, feeding means stalks.

and stripping drum, there will take place a clean stripping of the wood from the stalks, without any possibility of damage to the bast by the strippers or by a jamming of the material or owing to other unfavourable conditions such as bending sideways, bending upwards, getting astray, crushing or the like.

A-separate feed hopper 51 may be provided on the table 1.

On the bast discharge roller 39 are preferably provided separate strippers 52 which carry away any wood that remains hanging, and clean the discharge roller 39. This also prevents the bast from remaining suspended on the roller 39.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for mechanical extraction of basts from stalks of plants comprising a breaking edge, driven stripping means adjacent said breaking edge, reaking members and stripping members mounted on said stripping means for breaking and stripping the woody portion from the bast of the stalk, feeding means for feeding a stalk to said breaking edge and means for leading the separated bast away from said breaking edge in a direction away from said stripping means. i

2. A machine as specified in claim 1 including a clamping means adjacent said said clamping means being adapted to clamp the stalks to the breaking e e.

A machine as specified in claim 1 including a splitting knife, comprising, means for feeding and iding the stalks to said splitting knife anmeans for guiding said stalks from said splitting knife to the breaking edge.

e 4. A machine as specified in claim 1 including a splitting knife, said feeding means for feeding and guiding the stalks to said splitting knife, and guiding means for. guiding the stalks to the breakin edge, said stripping means, means for fee ing, guiding means and means for leading the bast away being positively connected, and drivingmeans, said driving means driving said members so positively connected.

5. A machine as specified in claim .1, including a splitting knife, said feeding means comprising, to said sphtting knife, ers for guiding said stalks to sai splitting knife and rollers for guidin said stalks from said splitting knife to sai each of said rollers being yieldably mounted whereby they exert a light pressure on said 6. A machine as specified in claim 1, in which said breaking edge is yieldably mounted. I

7. A' machine as specified in claim 1, in

said feeding meansrollers for feeding the stalks additional uide rollshorter breaking breaking edge,

which said breaking edge is formed by a roller, and in which is provided a ivoted lever, said roller being mounted in t e free end of said lever.

8. A machine as specified in claim 1, in which is provided a weighted clamping device pivotally mounted above said breaking e ge.

9. A machine as specified in claim 1, in

which is provided a guide plate cranked at ary spreading member and a detac able splitting member adj ustably mounted in a vertical girection with respect to said spreading mem- 12. In a machine for mechanical extraction of bast from stalks of plants, a splitting knife, means for feeding the stalk to said splittingknife, a centeringglelvice immediately preceding said splitting 'fe, and compris ng two guide rollers, two rotatable bell crank levers in which said guide rollers are mounted, the free ends of said levers carrying respectively a guide slot and a pin, saidpin engaging in said guide slot.

13. A machine for mechanical extraction of bast from stalks of plants comprising a' breaking edge, driven strippin means acent said breaking edge, rea 'n members and stripping members mounte on said strippin means for breaking and stripping the woo y portion from the bast of the stalk, feeding means for feedin a stalk to said breaking edge and means or preventing the separated bast from coming in contact with said stripping means after said separated bast leaves said breaking edge.

14. In a machine for mechanical extraction of bast from stalks of plants, a breaking and stripping member comprisin a rotating member, stripping means an relatively b d t means on roltating mem er, sai s r1 ping means eac inc udmg a knife edge at if:

ing means, each of said strippin' means being set at an an le to a radius 0 said rotating member sot at said knife edge oints in the same direction as the rotation 0 said rotating member.

- MAX EINSTEIN.

machine for mechanical extrac-v e extremity of said strip- 

